AZ Vaccine Suspension for Under 30s to Be Used for Elderly Vaccination

On the 1st, Jeong Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Heungdeok-gu Public Health Center in Cheongju, Chungbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The government will utilize the surplus AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, created by excluding those under 30 from the vaccination target, for vaccinating the elderly aged 65 and over.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), said at a briefing during the special COVID-19 response quarantine inspection meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the afternoon of the 12th, "We have restricted the AstraZeneca vaccine for those under 30," adding, "About 640,000 people among the second-quarter vaccination targets will not be vaccinated, so we plan to convert that amount to other vaccination targets and proceed with vaccination."

The government resumed AstraZeneca vaccine administration from this day, after it had been suspended due to concerns over blood clot formation. However, those under 30 were excluded from the AstraZeneca vaccine target group based on the judgment that the benefits of vaccination do not outweigh the risks of rare thrombosis potentially caused by the vaccine. As a result, about 640,000 people, including workers in infection-vulnerable facilities, caregivers for the disabled and elderly, flight attendants, teachers, and essential social workers, were excluded from the vaccination target.

The government recommends vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine for those aged 30 and over based on scientific evidence, while promptly utilizing the vaccine doses freed up by the suspension of vaccination for those under 30 for elderly vaccinations. Monitoring of adverse reactions such as blood clot-related diseases will also be strengthened.

Additionally, the government plans to steadily implement the "Second Quarter Vaccination Implementation Plan" to achieve herd immunity by November through the full operation of vaccination centers and designated medical institutions, and the use of low dead space (LDS) syringes.

The KDCA plans to increase the number of vaccination centers from 71 as of the 8th to 267 by the end of this month, ensuring at least one vaccination center operates in every city, county, and district. Furthermore, through 1,686 designated early vaccination medical institutions in each city, county, and district, vaccinations for 880,000 people, including elderly home care and disabled care workers, starting from the 19th, will be conducted early based on advance reservations.

Moreover, by purchasing an additional 7.07 million LDS syringes and utilizing them to minimize vaccine wastage, the government aims to optimize vaccine use and ensure rapid vaccination by reallocating vaccines according to vaccination speed through thorough inventory management.